X-Message-Number: 1789
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 93 20:40:18 CST
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS member exclusion

Michael Riskin:
 
> To B.Wowk: Would you exclude a member if you believed such member was
> detrimental to YOUR survival?
 
        An Alcor member is someone who pays dues and gets a magazine.  I 
don't see how anyone paying dues and getting a magazine can threaten my 
survival.  Of course, there is also a contractual obligation to provide 
suspension services, but Alcor already reserves the right to exercise 
discretion in performing suspensions under dangerous circumstances.
 
        The incidents which have motivated the current furor over membership 
exclusion arose because errors in judgement were made in entrustinig a new 
member with information that he should not have had access to.  This same 
kind of error can be made whether a person is a member or not.  For example, 
several years ago an accountant, who was not a member, absconded with 
$100,000 he was supposed to invest for Alcor overseas.  The problems which 
some Board members now think can be solved be restricting membership can in 
reality only be solved by management and membership exercising more diligence 
in interacting with members and non-members alike. 
 
        In the example above, I believe Alcor eventually sued the S.O.B., and 
this is the course of action that should be pursued for people who 
maliciously damage our organization.  There should never be a need to revoke 
membership.  As the long as people want to continue paying dues, why not 
accept them?  Heck, it will help with legal fees for our suit against them. 
 
        Rejection of members for punative, political reasons is the hallmark 
of a cult.  I, for one, do not want to see Alcor become a cult.  *That* would 
be deterimental to my survival.
 
                                                        --- Brian Wowk

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